NEW ORLEANS — The last time the Ravens were in the Super Bowl, Ray Rice remembers running up his street in New Rochelle to his friend Dave’s house.

It was 2001 and the Ravens beat the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. Rice had no cable television, so the 14-year-old Rice went to his friend’s house to watch the game at a Super Bowl party like he did many other years.

“Now I’m here,” Rice said yesterday as the Ravens prepare for Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVII against the 49ers. “It’s not about the money and all that stuff.”

Rice, who came out of New Rochelle and starred at Rutgers, has been smiling all week. The star running back of the Ravens is enjoying his time on the big stage. While many players complain about the “distractions” of Super Bowl week, Rice is embracing them.

“It’s everything to be at this game,” Rice said. “Look at the spotlight, not that we look for it, but the Super Bowl is the most nationally watched event. It’s just amazing.”

Rice is a big reason why the Ravens are here. He rushed for 1,143 yards on 257 carries and scored nine rushing touchdowns on his way to his third Pro Bowl selection.

He made an unforgettable conversion on fourth-and-29 against the Chargers and rushed for 131 yards in the Divisional round win over the Broncos. When teams stack the box to stop Rice, quarterback Joe Flacco can go over the top.

Rice was asked yesterday if he has to have a big game for the Ravens to win.

“I feel like I’ve just got to do my job,” Rice said. “My job might be blocking a linebacker so Joe can complete the ball down the field. Sometimes the rest of the world gets hidden in stats. If you could watch how many times I’m in a route and I take two defenders out of the play so Joe Flacco can get the underneath route, if you watch how many times a pass rush is coming up the field and I just chip them and knock ’em back, those aren’t stats people are writing about. Whatever my role is for this game — and I know I’m going to touch the ball a fair share — I’ll just try to make the best of it. It’s the underlying stats that are going to be key for me.”

At 5-foot-9, Rice is one of the smaller backs in the league, but he remains one of the most effective. The 49ers are well aware that stopping No. 27 will be crucial on Sunday night.

“Ray Rice is a smaller guy, but he also has speed, power and quickness,” 49ers safety Donte Whitner said. “It’s not too many backs that have that in the National Football League and catching the ball out of the backfield. Right now, I would say he’s the number one guy catching the football out of the backfield, being able to get up on linebackers, make them miss. They have something that they call an option route where he can go either way. It’s tough for running backs to stay with them and defend. You can’t really bring a DB down there in the box, because then they’ll run the football. So, he’s the number one receiving running back and he can get the ball on the ground. They can line him outside. They can run routes. He’s just all around a good football player. That’s what makes him unique.”

For Rice, Sunday is the realization of a dream that began years ago in New Rochelle.

“I always feel like I’m a little guy from my little neighborhood in New Rochelle and look where I’m at now,” Rice said. “You’ve got to remember where you came from.”